Pixelmator today released the latest version of its photo editor for iPhone and iPad, Pixelmator version 2.1. The update brings full support for iPad iOS 9 multitasking, the ability to import and edit 8K resolution images, Open-In-Place document management across iOS and more.
As part of general improvements for iOS 9, such as adoption of Apple’s new system font (San Francisco) in the UI, the primary change is the addition of the iPad multitasking support. This means Pixelmator can now be docked to the side of the screen using Slide Over. On more recent iPads, you can also pop Pixelmator into Split View for true 2-app side-by-side multitasking.
This means some typical desktop workflows are now possible on iOS. For instance, you can now edit images with Pixelmator and browse the web for inspiration at the same time. When you are doing something more casual, you can always replace Safari with Twitter or an RSS reader. You may have to buy a newer iPad to use this however. Split View requires iOS 9 and is supported only on iPad mini 4, iPad Pro and iPad Air 2.
Pixelmator 2.1 also adds support for iOS 9’s new Open In Place document functionality. This fixes a common problem with iOS file management: traditionally when you made an edit, the app would have to save out another duplicate copy of the document. With Open In Place, it works like a desktop where you can open a Pixelmator document from anywhere, make changes, then save it back to the same place. Naturally, this is way better than cluttering up your storage with multiple copies of the same image. The update also indexes your Pixelmator projects in Spotlight, so you can find them using the universal search from the Home Screen.
In addition, Pixelmator can now import and edit 8K resolution images. This means you can now crop and adjust photos — up to 64 megapixel photos in size — on both iPhone and iPad. Version 2.1 also includes a convenience workflow for handling images in your Photos library: open an image from Photos and save changes back without creating a copy. You can also copy your current canvas to the clipboard at any time to quickly paste into other apps.
Pixelmator for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for $4.99 and its companion app is available on the Mac App Store for $29.99. The company has also promised to add stylus support for Apple Pencil with iPad Pro so look out for more updates in the near future.
